Whispers
by PygmyCritter
Summary: The team has a break down hours away from Cardiff. With no phones, they are forced to stay the night in the Greenlee Manor Hotel. Features my fave orig.char., Faith Madden.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: For those of you who were reading Invisible Influence, I've totally no clue at all how to end that last bit, but this idea was screaming at me, so I'm writing it. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews for my other stuff!**

* * *

Faith leanded against the side of the SUV rubbing her temples, trying to ease the pain at least some.

"I told you this was a bad idea." Owen was saying to Jack as they approached.

"We both tried to tell you." Tosh put in.

"Okay, yes, I know." Jack said as he stopped and turned to look at them both. "I should have listened to you, I'm sorry."

"Tell that to Faith." Ianto said as he walked past them and tossed the bag he was carrying into the back of the vehicle.

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. He was sure that the building U.N.I.T had chosen for their little meeting would be safe. He'd wanted in on talking to the guy they'd pulled in because of a possible connection to some things dealing with Torchwood. He'd been wrong and now he was going to have to listen to them complain about it for god only knew how long.

"All of this, and it turns out the guy was just trying to fleece people the whole time." Faith said as she buried her pounding head in her hands.

"I'm sorry." Jack said. "I thought it would be safe."

"Well, now we know better." Gwen said as she went to open the front door of the passenger side.

"Excuse me." Faith said as she looked up. "My head is killing me, and I'm not going to sit in the back with four other people to be bounced around and squashed." she walked over and sat down in the front seat. "If you don't mind too much."

"Of course not." Gwen said with a sigh as she slammed the door and crawled into the back.

"Owen, you can drive this time." Jack said, throwing the keys to him.

"Fine by me." Owen said as he took the keys and climbed in.

"Getting dark early." Tosh said as she waited for Ianto to climb in before her. "You can see all right in the dark, right, Owen?"

"Yes, I can." he said, sounding slightly annoyed by the question. "We all ready?" he asked as he started the engine.

"Let's roll." Jack said as the last of them clambered in and shut the door. "I think getting back to Cardiff and home sounds rather nice right about now."

"Yes, home, please." Faith said as she folded her jacket up and used it for a pillow.

"Home it is." Owen said as he put the SUV in gear and took off.

They were about three hours drive outside Cardiff and had already gone about an hour. Each of them was gazing out the windows as they drove along the long stretch of empty country road.

"Odd place for a hotel." Tosh said as they passed a large Victorican fortress-like house.

"Add some lightning and it'd make a great haunted house." Faith replied as she watched the old weathered sign for the place disappear. "Greenlee Manor Hotel." she said. "Quite a pretty name though."

"Doesn't seem like they'd get many customers way out here though." Gwen sad as she laid her head back against the seat.

She moved her hips a bit to make sure her legs didn't fall asleep. It didn't help that Jack had something very hard in his pocket that kept digging into her.

"Almost finished?" Ianto asked.

"Sorry, not very comfy back here." she said.

"I'm aware of that." he replied as he tried to stretch his legs out.

"Listen to them whine." Owen said to Faith with a laugh.

"Big babies." she answered with a smile.

"You want to switch with one of us?" Jack asked. "Don't want you passing out at the wheel."

"I'll manage." Owen answered as everyone settled back into silence.

And manage he did, but only for the next fifteen minutes. He watched the dark road ahead of him carefully, hoping to avoid hitting any animals that might run out in front of him. Last time he'd done that, Faith had been with him and cried for an hour when he'd accidentally hit a rabbit that darted out. She insisted they move it so that others wouldn't hit him. He was dead, wouldn't really matter to him, but she got a look in her eye that made him decide not to argue. She could be quite frightening when she felt like it.

He looked down for a second to grab the bottle of water Ianto had handed him and when he looked up, there was a man standing in the road. Slamming on the brakes, he threw his left arm out, without even thinking about it, to stop Faith from flying forward.

"What the hell?" Jack asked as his head bounced off the back of Owen's seat.

"There was someone in the road." Owen said as he put the SUV in park and unfastned his seatbelt.

"There's no one there." Gwen said, leaning forward and looking around.

"I didn't see anyone." Faith whispered.

"There was a man there." Owen insisted as he opened his door.

"Well, there's no one here now." Jack said as he got out as well, the others in the back using the chance to stretch their cramped muscles.

"I saw him." Owen muttered, running his hand through his hair. "I know I did."

"It's been a long day." Ianto said, stretching his arms over his head. "Maybe you should take a break and let one of us take over at the wheel for a bit."

"Yeah, maybe.." Owen agreed. "Everyone okay?" he asked.

"Fine." they all said, nodding.

"Back in." Jack said as he took a deep breath, trying to get as much fresh air into his lungs before getting back into the cramped backseat as Ianto climbed in front behind the wheel.

"Feeling better?" Ianto asked Faith, who'd stayed in the car the whole time.

"Tiny bit." she muttered as she buried her head in her coat again.

"Go to sleep and we should be back home before too long." he said as the others reluctantly climbed back in.

"Okay." she said as she nuzzled the coat and closed her eyes.

Ianto put the SUV in gear, started to move forward, and suddenly stopped.

"What now?" Tosh groaned as she heard the grinding and rattling noise before the engine died all together.

"I don't know." Ianto said as he tried to start it back up. The more he cranked, the weaker the engine's attempts at starting became.

"It just had a tune-up." Jack said.

"We have more than half a tank." Owen added.

"Sounds like the battery's dead." Ianto said as he tried once more to start it.

"Can we call for a tow?" Faith asked.

"I have no signal on my phone." Gwen said as she moved her phone around trying in vain to pick one up.

"Same with mine." Tosh said.

"Same here." Owen said, having gotten out of the car again and moved around.

"Ditto." Jack added.

"What do we do now?" Gwen asked as she stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

"The Greenlee Manor Hotel." Jack said with a shrug. "Not too far, they should have a phone."

"It'll give you all a chance to stretch your muscles." Faith said as she stifled a yawn. Looking at her watch she saw that it was just after eight. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"It was what, a fifteen minute drive?" Jack asked, Owen nodding in repsonse. "Say, half an hour."

"Oh joy." Faith said as she climbed out and put her coat on.

"Here, take these." Owen said, handing her two white pills.

"Thanks." she said swallowing them down with the bottle of water she'd been cradling on the drive.

"Forward march!" Jack called as he led the group down the road back towards the hotel.

Almost half an hour exactly, the tired group dragged themselves up the steps and to the large oaken front doors of the large old house.

"It's quite lovely close up." Faith commented as they walked into a large foyer. Old oil paintings hung from the walls, lights shone down on them to showcase them better. In the middle of the foyer stood a large mohogany table with a crystal vase, orchids overflowing the fluted top.

"Not too shabby." Jack said as he looked around in admiration.

"All this for some place tucked out in the middle of nowhere?" Owen asked. "Seems rather a waste."

"We are very house-proud." a warm voice said from behind them. "It's been in the family for years, so we like to keep it up as they did back then."

They turned to see a woman, probably in her eighties standing there. Small and frail looking, she wore a gray tweed skirt, a white blouse and a pale blue cardigan over top.

"It's lovely." Jack said with a smile.

"Thank you." she said. "You lot look so tired. I didn't hear anyone pull up."

"We've had a very long day." Faith said yawning. "Our car broke down."

"We were hoping you would let us use your phone." Gwen put in with a smile.

"Of course." the woman said.

"Thank you." Gwen said.

"But the phone's been out all day." the woman finished. "I'm sorry, I've been onto the company all day, but they can't get it up again until tomorrow."

"Oh." Gwen muttered.

"Well then." Jack said. "I don't suppose you have any rooms available, do you?"

"Yes we do." she answered. "It's a bit slow at the moment, so all the rooms are available, actually."

"Great." Faith said.

"I have three rooms." she said as she moved ahead of them. "Only three ready for anyone to stay in. We have ten all together."

"I thought you said they were all available." Tosh said.

"Well, by that, I meant three." the woman said as she moved behind a large desk that closely resembled the table in the center of the foyer. "They're all very nice. En suite and everything." she added as she opened a large book. "It will be two hundred pounds for all three for the night."

"We'll take them." Owen said as he pulled out his walled and handed her a credit card.

"Oh dear." the woman said. "This is rather embarassing. We don't accept credit cards." she said. "No equipment for that."

"A check?" Gwen asked.

"No sorry." the woman shook her head.

"I've got money." Faith said as she moved up to the desk.

"You have two hundred pounds in cash?" Owen asked as he watched her count out the money.

"A friend from work borrowed some money and she paid me back today before you came to pick me up." she explained. "With a little extra for having taken so long to pay me back."

"Here are your keys." the woman said. "If you'll all just sign the book." she added as she turned it around and handed Faith a pen.

"There we are then." she said as she closed the book once they'd all signed it. "I hope you enjoy your stay." she added with a smile. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you very much." Jack said. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, where are my manners?" she laughed. "I'm Georgette Milner." she said. "You'll probably come across my husband and son while you're here too. My husband is Stanley and our son is Christopher."

"We'll keep an eye out for them, Georgette." Gwen said. "Good night."

"So, who sleeps where?" Owen asked as he held out the keys.

"I'll bunk with Tosh." Gwen piped in.

"Ianto and I can share." Jack said with a smile, causing Ianto to blush.

"Guess that leaves you and I then." Owen said to Faith. "Hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not." she said quickly as she took the key he held. "Good night." she said to the others, and turned on her heel and headed off.

Faith threw her coat down on the bed when she got into the room.

"Of course you'll share a room." she muttered to herself as she took of her shoes. "Rotten..." she went on and on as she went into the bathroom to wash her face.

Straightening up, she dried her face. Looking into the mirror, she jumped when she saw a man standing behind her. Turning around quickly, she found no one there.

"Owen?" she called, thinking he was trying to play his idea of a joke on her. "That's not funny." she said throwing the towel down on the counter.

She heard the sound of the door opening and went out. The door stood open, but no one was there. Going to the door, she poked her head around the door expecting Owen to jump out to scare her. Still, she found nothing, no one, not him or anyone else.

"Soo Jin." she heard someone whisper behind her. Turning around, she found she was still alone. She found herself wishing desperately that Owen would hurry up and get to the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: Thanks to bbmcowgirl and kateg123 for the reviews and thanks everyone else for reading! Hope you enjoyed chapter one.**

* * *

"Rhys and I were going to have dinner with friends." Gwen said as she plopped down on the large, soft bed.

"Alun and I were going to go to the movies." Tosh said. "And now neither of us can even call to tell them we're okay, let alone why we can't make our dates."

"Just have to love Torchwood sometimes." Gwen groaned as she lay back.

"At least we don't have to share a room with Owen." Tosh said, "Silver lining."

"Thought you had a thing for him?" Gwen asked with a laugh.

"I did. Not anymore." Tosh answered with a shy smile.

"Because of Alun." Gwen teased.

"Yes." Tosh said, blushing. "I wonder if they have anything to eat." she added, trying to steer the conversation away from anything embarassing.

"I hope so." Gwen said. "I'm famished."

"I'll go look for Mrs.Milner." Tosh said, heading for the door. "I'll be back." she called over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.

Tosh wandered about a bit. She had to since she kept getting lost. The place was huge and all the halls seemed to look alike. At least the scenery was nice. Being lost and trying to find her way back where she wanted to be.

She stopped to look at a watercolor painting of a mother and child. Tilting her head from side to side, she couldn't help but feel she knew the woman from somewhere. She just couldn't figure out where.

Somewhere behind her, she could hear the faint humming of the wedding march. She turned to look around and could see no one. Perhaps she was close to the room she was sharing with Gwen and could hear her humming. Turning back around, she started walking again. The stairs had to be around here somewhere!, she thought.

_"Here comes the bride, all dressed in white."_

Tosh stopped, spinning on her heel, she found no one there.

_"If she tries to run, I'll give her quite a fright."_

The last line was sung so quietly, she cold barely hear it, and it was followed by a maniacal laugh. Tosh's heart was beating so fast, she felt it was about to pop out of her chest.

"Owen is that you?" she called. "That's not funny!"

No answer, no sound at all. Taking a deep breath, she took off quickly, hoping to either run into someone, someone she knew hopefully, or find her way back to her room.

* * *

_"You can't marry him. He's not stable."_

Ianto turned and looked around. "Jack, did you say something?" he called from the bathroom.

"No." Jack said, coming to stand in the doorway. "Did you hear something?"

"No, of course not." Ianto said quickly.

"Ianto, last time you heard voices, you ended up with a mildly psychotic flatmate." Jack pointed out.

"Mildly psychotic?" Ianto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I know you two are friends..." Jack began.

"Very good friends, probably best friends." Ianto said. "But, to say Faith is only mildly psychotic, that's put it, well, mildly."

"I'm glad to see that she hasn't convinced you that she's perfect." Jack laughed.

"She doesn't have that much persuasive power." Ianto said.

"Best friend, huh?" Jack asked as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Yes." Ianto said slowly.

"I'll pretend I'm not even a little offended." Jack said as he crossed his arms. "I thought we'd worked things out."

"We have." Ianto said, moving past him. "Just because we're back where we were doesn't make us best friends."

"Ianto..." Jack began as he moved after the younger man.

"Jack, just leave it." Ianto said. "I'm going to go see about something to eat." he said as he left. "Be back soon."

He headed down the hall, looking at some sculptures that adorned beautiful wood tables. The Milner's must have some guests in order to be able to have all this, Ianto thought. Either that or they're very good knock-offs.

_"Mama, please, I love him."_

_"I know you do, darling, but he's not safe."_

_"You don't know that."_

_"I do. If you marry him it will only end badly."_

_"No, we'll be happy."_

_"Please, Soo-Jin!"_

_"Mama, please just go."_

Ianto stood in place as he listened to the conversation. Slowly turning around, he expected to see someone, anyone, to explain the voices. He was greeted by the sight of an empty hall. No one was around.

"It's been a long day." he muttered to himself. "Very long day."

"I use that excuse when I've lost something." a man's voice said from behind him.

Turning around, he found an old man standing there. Stanley Milner, no doubt.

"Sorry, I didn't realise anyone was here." Ianto said, forcing a smile.

"No worries." the man said. "Stanley Milner." he introduced himself, holding out a hand. "Georgie said I'd probably run into some guests."

"Ianto Jones." he said. "She told us we might run into you and your son." Ianto replied as he shook the older man's hand. He had quite a strong grip, not what Ianto was expecting.

"Yes, Christopher is rattling around here somewhere." Stanley said with a wave of his hand.

"Perhaps you can help me." Ianto said hopefully. "We've not had a chance to get any dinner..."

"Say no more." Stanley said holding up his hand. "Georgie makes the best lamb stew, with fresh bread. Absolutely wonderful."

"We don't want to be any bother." Ianto said, even though the sound of the stew was making him even more hungry.

"No bother at all." he said. "She always makes enough in case we're lucky enough to get some guests."

"How fortunate." Ianto said.

"Come down to the dining room in let's say half an hour, we'll have you all fed." Stanley said as he clapped Ianto on the shoulder, almost with enough force to knock him over.

"Will do." he said as he steadied himself.

"Ianto?" Tosh's voice called.

"Over here." he called back.

"Oh, thank goodness." she said as she rushed up to him. "Oh, hello." she said as she caught sight of the other man.

"Stanley Milner." Ianto explained. "Mr.Milner, this is Toshiko Sato."

Stanley just stared at them both for a second before a smile spread over his face.

"Hello." he said as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Hello." she said as she watched, resisting the urge to pull her hand back.

"Korean?" he asked.

"What?" Tosh muttered. "Oh, no, Japanese." she said, catching on before he had to ask again.

"Close enough." he said. "Close enough." he repeated with another smile. "Dining room, half an hour. Until then, Miss Sato, Mr. Jones."

"Okay, he's just a bit creepy." Tosh said when Stanley had disappeared.

"Oh, just ever so slightly." Ianto said. "Are you all right?" he asked as he looked at her.

"Ianto, have you heard any noises, voices?" she asked, feeling it would be safe. Ianto wouldn't mock her like some of the others might, especially since for a while he had an invisible friend.

"Have you?" he asked.

"Why would I be asking otherwise?" she replied. "I heard someone humming the wedding march, then someone sang a bit, adding some rather disturbing parts."

"No, no wedding march." Ianto answered. "I did hear what sounded like two women arguing about a wedding though."

"This is very odd." Tosh said as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I want to just go home." her stomach growled just then and she blushed a bit. "Maybe something to eat as well."

"Like he said, dining room, half an hour." Ianto repeated.

"Good." she said. "I'm going to try to find my way back to my room." she said. "Gwen's hungry as well."

"If you run into Owen or Faith on the way, tell them." Ianto said as Tosh walked off.

"Okay." she said. "You'll do the same I'm sure."

"Of course, what else would a diligent tea-boy do?" he asked with a smile as he headed back to his own room.


	3. Chapter 3

_"You'd better not try to ruin things."_

_"I'll do what's best."_

_"Do anything to stop this, and you'll pay."_

Jack looked around as he turned away from the large window. Well, on the bright side, at least Ianto wasn't losing it, nor was he about to gain another invisible friend.

"We're to be in the dining room in half an hour." Ianto said as he walked in.

"Good." Jack muttered. "Good."

"Are you feeling all right, Jack?" Ianto asked as he watched Jack look around the room.

"You said you heard voices earlier, right?" Jack asked as he stopped his examination of the room long enough to focus on Ianto.

"Yes." he nodded. "Do you hear something now, too?"

"Yeah, I did." Jack said. "But, you know, it's an old house." he added, trying to shrug it off. "Lots of drafts, and creaks, makes things seem spooky."

"Tosh heard something as well." Ianto informed him. "The wedding march."

"She's very smitten with that Alun." Jack shrugged.

"Oh, I'm sure that's what it is." Ianto replied, rolling his eyes.

There was a knock at the door and Ianto opened it to find Stanley standing there, smiling.

"We had a chat and decided it would be best if we showed you to the dining room." he said.

"Too many people getting lost?" Ianto asked.

"Exactly." Stanley nodded. "You're sharing a room with another man?" he asked as Jack stepped forward.

"Yes." Ianto nodded.

"I see." he said. "Nothing wrong with that, of course." he nodded. "Good way to build camaraderie. Some good male bonding."

"I was just about to convince Ianto to bond a little more when you knocked." Jack said with a smile.

"He's keen on male bonding." Ianto said, fighting back the urge to laugh.

"Well, there's five men here right now, maybe after dinner we can all have some brandy and cigars." Stanley suggested.

"A group bonding." Jack said, "Haven't done that in a long time."

"Well, I look forward to it." Stanley said. "Well, let's get a move on." he said. "Sooner we get to some good old fashioned male bonding, no women to bother us, the better."

"Here, here!" Jack cheered as they followed Stanley down to the dining room.

* * *

"Just ran into Tosh." Owen called as he let himself into the room he was to share with Faith. "We're to meet in the dining room in half an hour."

"Oh, they're going to feed us." Faith said with excitement. "I'm starving."

"Told you to have something before we left Cardiff." he replied.

"I wasn't hungry then." she said. "Owen, were you in here ealier?"

"Earlier when?" he asked as he sat in a large wingchair in the corner of the room. "I got lost coming up. You took off so bloody fast."

"Sorry." she said as she propped against the large carved headboard. "Just wanted to get up to the room."

"Jack and Ianto saying they would share a room had nothing to do with it I'm sure." Owen said as he leaned back and stretched out his legs.

"Can we just not talk about that?" Faith asked. "Have you heard anything?"

"About what?" he asked.

"Not about anything." she said with a sigh. "Have you heard anyone whispering?"

"No, have you?" he asked slowly as though he were talking to an insane person.

"I wouldn't be asking otherwise, now would I?" she said impatiently. "Those pills you gave me earlier, they don't make someone hallucinate, do they?"

"Unless the asprin makers have been slipping happy juice into those little tablets, no." he said with a laugh. "It could just be that you're mad."

"Professional opinion?" Faith asked.

"Well, obviously I'm not a shrink, but knowing you as I do..." he said.

"You don't know me very well." she pointed out.

"And yet, when Ianto told you that he and Jack..."he began.

"I was drunk, it doesn't count, and we agreed never to speak of that again." Faith said as she got off the bed. "I need a hot washcloth." she added as she headed for the bathroom.

"You want me again and you know it!" he called after her laughing as he heard the taps turn on.

_"Where is she?"_

_"She'll show, don't worry my dear."_

_"She has to. I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't."_

_"Of course she will. She's dying to marry you."_

_"She'll die if she doesn't. Both of us will."_

Owen sat up in his seat. Damn that Faith. She just had to put disembodied voices into his mind, didn't she?

"Did you say something, Faith?" Owen called.

"No, did you?" she asked, using the same mocking tone he'd used on her.

"I've never really liked you." he responded.

"Oh, you want me again and you know it." she said in a teasing voice.

"Never liked you." he repeated as a knock sounded at the door.

Owen walked over and opened the door and found Georgette Milner on the other side.

"Mrs. Milner." he said.

"Hello, Dr. Harper, isn't it?" she said.

"Yes." he said with a smile.

"I've come to lead you and Miss Madden down to the dining room." she explained. "I heard some of you lost your way earlier, we thought it might be best if we each escorted a pair down."

"That is very sweet, Mrs. Milner." Faith said as she came to the door. "Owen here was helplessly lost. He only just found the room."

"Oh dear, I do apologize." Georgette said, wringing her hands. "Don't want to misplace the guests, now do we?"

"We'd prefer if you didn't." Owen said.

"Well, I'll draw you out a map before you come back up for the night." Georgette promised. "Come along."

Owen and Faith followed along behind the old woman, who kept turning back and smiling at them.

"So, how long have you been together?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, we're not together." Faith quickly corrected her.

"No, it's strictly sex between us." Owen added.

Georgette stopped and turned to stare at Owen, Faith stared open mouthed at him. How could he say something like that in front of such a sweet old lady?

"You know, that's part of the reason Stanley and I have lasted this long." she said, surprising them both. "He's a voracious lover."

"Really?" Faith asked, not being able to laugh a little.

"Oh goodness yes." she said, nodding emphatically. "Hung like a horse." she whispered.

"Oh god." Owen muttered, hoping the hall would swallow him.

"Oh dear." Faith said, supressing a smile.

"Is he any good?" she asked Faith, nodding towards Owen. "If not, Stanley could give him a couple of pointers."

"I'm fine, thank you." Owen said, glaring at Faith who was about to answer.

"Well, if you want to, just ask him." Georgette said. "He's not shy." she added with a wink. "Come along." she said as she began leading them down the hall again, Faith trying to stay on her feet as she was wracked with laughter.

* * *

"No luck?" Gwen asked.

"Sort of." Tosh answered. "There will be food waiting for us down in the dining room in half an hour's time."

"Wonderful." Gwen said as she looked at her watch.

"Trying your phone again?" Tosh asked as she pointed to Gwen's phone which she had in her hand.

"I almost got a bar." she laughed. "I wanted to at least text Rhys."

"Hopefully they'll both just accept our reason." Tosh sighed. "Definitely doesn't look good, making plans then just not bothering to show up."

"Luckily Rhys has pleanty of experience with that." Gwen quipped.

"At least he knows what you do, so he knows why." Tosh said. "Poor Alun is clueless as to all this."

"He's stuck around, what, three months now." Gwen pointed out. "Must not mind too much then."

"Yes, that is a good point." Tosh smiled.

A knock at the door broke up their friendly chat. Gwen got up to answer it and found a man standing there. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, blonde hair, blue eyes. His large frame took up the whole of the door as he stood staring at Gwen.

"Hello." she said.

"I'm to show you to the dining room." he said gruffly.

"Okay." she said. "Tosh, we're heading down to the dining room now."

"Good, we can't get lost that way." Tosh said with a laugh as she stopped next to Gwen.

"Miss Sato?" the man said.

"Yes." she answered. "This is Gwen Cooper." she offered.

"I hope you're liking your room, Miss Sato." he said, completely ignoring the introduction.

"You can just call me Tosh." she said with an uneasy smile. "And yes, the room is lovely. Really the whole house is."

"I'm glad you like them, Tosh." he said, a smile slowly creeping over his face. "I'm Christopher."

"You're Mr. and Mrs. Milner's son?" Gwen asked, not masking her surprise at all.

"Yes." he said, the gruffness returning to his voice. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"I just thought their son, you, would be a bit, well, older." she said, stumbling a bit as he loomed over them.

"Well, I'm not." he said coolly. "Follow me." he added as he turned and walked off.

"He lacks his mother's friendliness." Gwen whispered to Tosh as they followed.

"His father was fine at first, but then he made me a bit uneasy as well." Tosh replied in hushed tones.

Christopher stayed well ahead of the pair, but kept looking back over his shoulder, smiling eerily at Tosh as they went along.

"I think he likes you." Gwen teased.

"Please don't say that." Tosh groaned as they followed their host down the stairs.

"Just in here." Christopher said as he opened the door. "I hope you enjoy the meal, Tosh." he said as she walked by, leaning down and getting very close to her as he did so.

"I'm sure I will." she said, resisting the urge to move quickly away from him. He seemed a bit odd, she didn't want to offend, just in case it went beyond odd.

"Ah, your little group, all together." Georgette said happily as she saw her son come in with Gwen and Tosh.

"The food smells wonderful." Tosh said.

"Oh, thank you." Georgette said. "I do what I can."

"Don't be modest, Georgie." Stanley put in. "She's an outstanding cook."

"Now Stanley." she said, blushing at her husband's praise. "Just put the plates on the side table."

Stanley did as his wife bid and placed the plates on a sideboard on the far side of the room. Large pots stood on the table and baskets held loaves of bread.

"There's wine here if you want some." Georgette said. "And there's also water. You all enjoy yourselves, while you all eat we'll draw up some maps for you to find your way back upstairs."

"Thank you." Jack said.

"You're not eating?" Tosh asked.

"We had dinner early tonight." Stanley said. "Well, dig in." he said as he offered his wife his arm and left, their son trailing after them, looking back over his shoulder at Tosh as he did so. The door to the room closed and Faith made a mad dash for the sideboard.

"It smells so good." she said as she lifted the lid off a dish that held the stew.

"Bon appetit." Jack said as he and the others sat down to eat.

"Is it just me, or there a kind of odd taste?" Tosh asked as she ate a spoonful.

"I think it's some of the spices." Gwen said as she broke a piece of bread.

"You're probably right." Tosh said with a smile as she continued to eat her fill.

"So tired." Faith mumbled as she collapsed onto the bed.

"Been a long day." Owen yawned as he kicked off his shoes and fell onto the other side.

"Very." she mumbled as she drifted off, Owen quickly following.

"Guess there won't be any bonding." Jack said with a goofy grin as he plopped down on the edge of the bed.

"Sorry to disappoint." Ianto said as he crawled into the bed, pulling the covers over his head to block the light from the bedside lamp.

"You know, we could still..." Jack said as he layed back, turning to Ianto. "Ianto?"

The only response he got was loud snoring.

"Guess not." he yawned. "Amazing how a big meal can make you so sleepy." he muttered as he, too, drifted off.

"Oh, I'm stuffed." Gwen groaned as she stumbled through the door to the room.

"I'm dead on my feet." Tosh said as she awkwardly made her way to the bed and just barely caught the corner as she sat down.

"Me too." Gwen said as she slid down into the large chair.

"I still think that food tasted a bit off." Tosh mumbled as she drowsily crawled to the head of the bed.

"Maybe they drugged us." Gwen joked as her eyes closed.

"Not funny." Tosh mumbled as she passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes: Thanks to all who've reviewed and/or added the story to their alerts...it's quite amusing to see that...nice lil ego boost :)...anywho..i do hope y'all enjoy this latest chapter...it would have been longer, but my hockey team was playin' and they by far trump fanfic writing...Thanks again all!**

Tosh woke up, feeling as though she were floating down the hallway. Bright lights burned her eyes as the sconces lit the corridor.

"I'm so glad you came back, Soo-Jin." a voice said. Looking up, she saw that Christopher Milner was carrying her.

"I'm not..." she tried to say, but found her mouth completely dry and barely able to form the words.

"Shh, don't worry, darling." Christopher said as he smiled down at her. "We'll be together forever soon enough."

"Help." she tried in vain to cry out.

"Your friends are all asleep." he said with a soft chuckle. "Where did you meet those people?" he asked. "Not at all the kind of company you kept before." he added as he stopped and rather awkwardly opened a door.

"You can lay her down here." she could hear Georgette say. Turning her head, she could see the old woman standing next to a large four poster bed. "Your father is waiting in your room to help you get ready."

"You said I'd never see her again, mother." he said as he put her down, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. "Yet, here she is. She's finally come back."

"I know, sweetling, I should have listened to you." Georgette said as she fondly stroked her son's hair. "It doesn't matter now though." she added softly. "She's here and you'll have your wedding."

"Soo-Jin, you've made me so happy." Christopher said as he sat on the bed next to Tosh. "Thank you for coming home." he added before leaning down to kiss her. "I'm going to get ready, mother is going to help you." he explained as he stood back up and headed for the door. "I'll see you soon, my love." Before leaving, he blew a kiss to her and smiled.

"Can't believe he waited for you all these years." Georgette said as she began to remove Tosh's shoes.

"Please." Tosh said, trying to grasp the woman's hand.

"Be quiet." she hissed as she slapped her hand away. "He could have had any number of girls all these years." she said as she began to remove Tosh's skirt. "But no, he just had to have you." she went on, moving to her shirt. "Seventy years, and it's been nothing but Soo-Jin this and Soo-Jin that."

Seventy years?, Tosh thought.

"So many girls have come through in that time." Georgette continued as she sat on the edge of the bed. "There was the Bruckner girl, she was sweet and pretty, good strong figure, would have been perfect for giving Christopher plenty of healty children." she shook her head. "But no. He wouldn't hear of it."

"I'm not..." Tosh tried again to get the woman to listen, to understand.

"I think I was making progress, to get him to accept someone else, then you lot had to show up." she went on, completely ignoring Tosh's feeble attempts. "And I see you've adopted a modern fashion sense. Couldn't believe what I saw you and those other little hussies wearing."

"Please." Tosh cried.

"Such tight trousers and those low-cut blouses." Georgette went on. "And the one who paid, her skirt was a bit short, wasn't it?" she asked. "And those boots she was wearing..what do gentlemen think when they see her?"

She got to her feet and gathered the discarded clothing, tossing them into the corner in a ball. She opened a wardrobe and took out a wedding gown. A very old wedding gown. The lace around the neck and wrists was yellowed. Tosh could smell moth balls when Georgette brought the dress over and laid it out at the end of the bed.

"What shall we do with your hair?" Georgette asked. "Stay right where you are, and I'll be right back." she said as she went into the bathroom.

Tosh could hear her looking for something, opening and closing cupboards, opening drawers. She decided to use the moment alone to try to get up. She tried to move, but found her body unwilling to comply. She slowly rolled over, hoping to swing her feet over the edge and stand up. Instead, her legs crumpled beneath her and she fell, just avoiding hitting her head on the bedside table.

"What are you doing?" Georgette asked as she came out of the bathroom, curling iron in hand. "You stupid girl." she groaned when she saw Tosh lying on the floor, struggling to get on all fours.

"Please, just let me go." Tosh begged as the old woman, surprisingly strong, tossed her back onto the bed.

"Why?" she asked as she stood back. "So you can run away and break my little boy's heart all over again?" she pressed, her voice rising in anger. "You have a good thing going here, you ungrateful little bitch!" she screeched, backhanding Tosh and knocking her back.

"Please." Tosh sobbed as she held her face in her hand, a small trickle of blood flowing where Georgette's wedding band had made contact with her skin.

"You'll marry Christopher." Georgette said as she grabbed Tosh by the hair and raised her up. "You'll be nice to him, you'll make him happy, or so help me God, you will pay." she hissed as she leaned her against the post of the bed and lifted her legs and started putting the dress on her.

Once the dress was on, she forced Tosh to a chair at a small vanity and began to roughly brush her hair. Looking at her watch, she sighed.

"Don't have much time to do anything with this mess." she said. "The veil will cover most of it, lucky for you." she added as she brought out a musty, yellow veil.

"My friends.." Tosh cried as Georgette stuck the comb of the veil into her hair.

"You'll see them at the wedding, don't worry." she replied as she got Tosh to her feet.

A knock sounded at the door, and Stanley stuck his head in.

"Is the bride all ready?" he asked gleefully.

"Need to wash her face." his wife answered. "Come hold her up."

"What happened?" he asked as he put an arm around Tosh's waist and held her up.

"I hit her." she answered as she dabbed at her face with a wet cloth.

"Chris won't like that." Stanley said.

"He's so happy, I don't think he'll pay too much attention." Georgette said. "Are the others in place?"

"All dressed and ready to go." he said with a smile. "Christopher is about to ware a hole in the rug in his room, he's pacing so much."

"He's waited long enough." she said as she straightened the veil. "You're sure they're ready?"

"Absolutely." he nodded. "All happy as could be."

"Good." she said as she stood back and looked Tosh over. "I think it's time for a wedding." she said with a smile.

"It's about bloody time." Stanley said as he moved towards the door, Tosh being dragged beside him.

"Ooh, Stanley." Georgette cried as she shut the door, dabbing her eyes with a lace handkerchief. "Our little boy is getting married."

"Just think, soon we'll have little ones calling us Grandma and Grandpa." he beamed.

"I can hardly wait." she giggled. "Come on, let's get down to the chappel."


	5. Chapter 5

Tosh stumbled along as Stanley dragged her down a path that led from the back of the large manor to a small chapel tucked back near a thicket of trees. She could hear people talking and laughing as they approached.

"Sounds as though the guests are having fun." Georgette said with a smile.

"I told you it was all taken care of." he said.

"So you did." she replied.

Georgette walked ahead and opened the door and led them into a small foyer, a set of double doors across from the front door, and two single doors to each side of the entrance.

"Sit her down here." she said, indicating a chair off to the side. "She needs to be able to walk down the aisle on her own." she added, smoothing the skirt of the wedding dress out. "Don't want people talking, now do we?"

"Of course not." Stanley said, "I'll go and fetch something to pep her up a bit."

"You do that." she agreed.

Stanley wandered off to the door on the left of the entryway as one of the double doors opened and Faith and Gwen came walking out. Each was dressed in some very old fashions. Tosh would have guessed they'd been popular, well, about seventy years ago.

"Gwen." she said, feeling relieved. "Faith."

"Oh, she is out of sorts isn't she?" Gwen said, shaking her head. "It's the nerves right before that big walk."

"We both had it when we got married." Faith said. "Don't worry. You'll forget them soon enough."

"And be replaced by all new ones on the wedding night." Gwen laughed.

"As if you waited." Faith whispered as she jabbed Gwen in the ribs.

Tosh just stared back and forth between the two of them in confusion. What were they going on about? Was this some sort of trick to fool the Milners?

"Oh, come now Soo-Jin." Georgette said with a sigh. "You remember Jennifer and Grace."

"Jennifer and Grace?" Tosh shook her head, not understanding at all.

"Yes." Faith said. "I'm Jennifer White, this is Grace Wilkins." she added. "Ringing any bells?"

"I do think this wedding has done away with her wits." Gwen said. "Poor thing."

"No." Tosh said, her voice slowly coming back. "You're Gwen Cooper, and you're Faith Madden." she explained, pointing to each in turn.

"Oh my." Gwen said. "You need a stiff drink."

"You always think everyone needs a stiff drink." Faith joked.

"Why don't one of you go and fetch her something." Georgette suggested.

"I'll just run and do that." Gwen offered. "Be back in a tick."

"We were even nice enough to find your friends to have at the wedding." Georgette whispered to Tosh as she adjusted her veil once more. "See what all we've done for you."

"These aren't my friends." Tosh hissed. "I don't know what you've done to them..."

"Mrs.Milner, why don't you go and see what's keeping Grace with that drink." Faith said. "I'll keep an eye on our little bride."

"I'll do that." she answered with a smile.

"Here, drink this." Faith said as she opened her purse and took out a silver flask, the initials J.A.W. engraved on the side.

"I don't know what's going on." Tosh muttered as she reluctantly took the flask and took a swig of what turned out to be gin.

"You're getting married, silly." Faith laughed. "It is overwhelming, I know." she said. "When Neal and I decided to finally do it..."

"Neal?" Tosh asked. "That's your husband I assume."

"Of course it is." Faith answered, looking very concerned. "You were in the wedding, Soo-Jin." she said, trying to remind the trembling, confused, would-be-bride.

"God, what is happening?" Tosh groaned as she handed the flask back to Faith and leaned forward, hiding her face in her hands.

"Here we are." Georgette said as she came back, holding a glass of wine.

"No thank you." Tosh said, pushing the offered glass aside.

"She had something." Faith said with a smile.

"What?" Georgette asked.

"She had a sip from my flask." she answered serenely.

"You carry a flask." she scoffed. "Doesn't surprise me in the least."

"Don't worry, Soo-Jin, it'll all make sense soon." Faith said confidently as she stood up.

"No..." Tosh said as her head began to pound.

"You can go back in now." Georgette said, shoving Faith towards the double doors. "Move along now."

"Mother!" Christopher hissed as the doors opened.

"Get back in there." she said, "You can't see her before.."

"I know, but I need your help." he said.

"I'll keep the bride company." an all to famliar voice said.

"Jack?" Tosh whispered.

"Thank you, Mr. Harley." Georgette said with a smile. "I'll only be a minute."

"Jack!" Tosh said.

"Hey there." he said as he sat down next to her. "Is this bizarre or what?"

"No kidding." she said. "So, what do we do?"

"We do what we have to." he shrugged. "You'll walk down that aisle. Then we can all go home."

"What?" she asked, taken aback by his answer.

"It's the easiest thing to do." he said.

"Jack..." she began to argue, but stopped as her head began to pound again. "Oh god." she hissed.

"You all right?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Soo-Jin?"

"I'm fine. Just nervous." Tosh heard herself say, knowing deep inside that was the wrong answer.

She wasn't nervous, she was angry, confused, scared out of her mind. Just about anything but nervous!

"At least you'll have someone." he said as he helped her to her feet. "I'll be going home alone."

"How are we feeling now?" Gwen asked as she came back, holding a glass of wine.

"Better." Tosh answered, causing herself to scream mentally.

What the hell was going on here?, she wondered.

"I don't think we've met." Jack said as he smiled at Gwen. "Jack Harley."

"Grace Wilkins." Gwen offered. "I think you've met my husband." she added.

"Husband. Of course." Jack said.

"What is the hold up?" Faith asked as she came back out, Ianto and Owen right behind her.

"Well, hello there." Jack said, sounding as charming as ever when he saw Faith.

"Hello." she said.

"I don't think we've been introduced." he tried again. "Jack Harley."

"You've met my wife before, Harley." Owen, or was supposed to be Owen, answered.

"Neal!" Jack said, seemingly just realizing the other two men were there. "I don't think I could have, I would have remembered."

"You were drunk, you vomited in my handbag." Faith said.

Tosh's mind was reeling. Mentally she knew this was all wrong. These people were her friends, but they all had the wrong names. Faith and Owen weren't married, and watching Gwen and Ianto holding hands, she could only assume that he was supposed to be Mr. Wilkins.

"Oh, yes." Jack said. "I remember now." he smiled again. "Did I pay you for that?"

"No." she answered.

"Better than when you fell face first into our daughter's cake." Ianto said.

"Oh, little Helen's birthday." Jack said. "Sorry about that, Vincent."

"An apology a year later." Gwen said. "I'm sure that'll make Helen feel much better."

"I think this is why I'm not invited to parties anymore." he whispered to Tosh.

"Why are you lot out here?" Stanley said as he seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Just checking on the bride." Faith said as Owen/Neal slipped his arm around her waist.

"Well, back in, all of you." Stanley said, shooing them away. "Jennifer, tell my wife to start the music. We'll come in when she does."

"Will do." Faith said with a smile as the group headed into the chapel.

"Mr. Harley." Stanley said. "I hope we won't have any troubles from you this evening."

"I promise." Jack said, sending a wink Tosh's way before disappering into the chapel.

"Ready?" Stanley asked as he offered his arm.

"Of course." Tosh said, ignoring the voice she could faintly hear in her head telling her to run, run as fast as you can!

The music started and the double doors opened. They began their slow walk down the aisle to Georgette Milner playing the Wedding March on an old pipe organ.

The next few minutes was a blur. A priest was telling them what to repeat, the ever creepy Christopher was slipping a ring on her hand, and she slipped one on his.

"Congratulations." the priest said as the couple turned around.

What have you done?, a voice kept saying. What have you done?

"Welcome to the ranks!" Gwen said as she hugged Tosh.

"You can join our weekly complaints group." Faith joked as she waited to hug her.

"You've done well." Jack said as he kissed her hand.

"I've just one more thing to say to you." Christopher said as he leaned towards her. "What have..."

"What have you done, Owen?" Faith's voice said, coming through loud and clear as Tosh lurched forward suddenly.

Tosh slowly opened her eyes and blinked. Looking around, she saw that she was in the SUV, Owen was driving, or had been. At the moment he seemed to be having a row with Faith.

"I'm not the stupid animal that came running out of nowhere!" he responded. "Why don't you ask that damn fox what he was doing?"

"Did you hit him?" Faith asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"I hit something." Owen answered as he did the same. "Figures you'd get only half an hour away from home before something bad happens."

"Have a nice sleep?" Ianto asked as he tried to ignore the arguing in front.

"What?" Tosh asked, feeling a bit dazed.

"Good sleep?" he asked again. "Did you know that you snore?"

"I do not!" she cried.

"Uh, yeah, Toshiko, you do." Jack put in.

"Loudly." Ianto added.

"I do not." she added as she looked forward to see Owen and Faith moving outside the SUV, presumably looking for the fox they were fighting about. "What's going on?" she asked, feeling as though one of the Milners was about to pop out of nowhere.

"Owen wasn't paying attention and we think he hit a fox." Ianto informed her.

"Did Owen say we were only half an hour out of Cardiff?" she asked.

"Yeah." he answered.

Looking at her watch, she saw that it was nearly eleven. She decided to try to text Alun, just to apologize for not showing up.

"My phone's working." she said, as she stared at her phone is amazement.

"I know, weird isn't it?" Ianto asked. "Out here in the middle of nowhere really, you get a signal." he said. "But you can stand in the wrong place in your flat..."

"Now he's going to crawl off somewhere and he'll have no way of caring for himself." Faith was saying as she and Owen got back in.

"Maybe he has a little fox wife who'll kiss it and make it better." he said as he put the car in gear and they started moving again.

"You can be such an ass at times." she retorted.

"You know you want me aga..." Owen yelped.

"Shut it." she warned.

Jack, Ianto and Gwen exchanged glances at the last little exchange, but said nothing. Tosh ignored it as she texted Alun an apology for being hours late and not havning gotten in touch with him sooner.

Two minutes later, her phone sounded:

_Don't worry, we can do it another time._

_Love ya, Alun_

Tosh smiled down at the message and leaned back against the seat and stared out the window. She didn't want to fall asleep again, afraid that she'd travel back to the Greenlee Manor. She just half listened to the continuing argument between Owen and Faith and laughed along with the others.

Tosh walked up to the door of her flat still rather at a loss for words where that dream was concerned. It had all seemed so real. And yet...

She stopped when she saw a figure at her door, just sitting on the floor. Looking at her watch she saw it was fifteen after midnight. Who on Earth...

"There you are." Alun said as he caught sight of her.

"Alun?" she asked. "What are you..."

"Wondered if you thought it was too late to do our little movie night?" he asked as he held up a couple of bags. "If you're tired though..."

"No, I slept on the way home." she said, not mentioning that she wasn't too keen to sleep anytime soon anyway.

"Great." he said. "I've got food, movies, beer." he added as he handed her a bag and a parcel.

"I'm hours late for a date, and you bring me a gift?" she asked as she looked down at the parcel.

"Not from me." he said as he picked up the bag of dvd's. "It was here when I arrived and some kids were hanging about." he explained. "I don't trust children. Sneakly little buggers."

"I see." she laughed as she unlocked her door and let them in.

"You sit down and pick out a movie." Alun said as he took the food to the kitchen. "I'll warm things up."

"Sounds good." she called as she sat down and started opening the package.

"We're working with this new program at work." he called out over the clattering of dishes. "Seriously, hun, you should see what all it can do..." his voice drowned out as Tosh saw what was inside the parcel.

Old photographs, letters, newspaper clippings, locks of hair, birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates and,Christmas, birthday and post cards. She just stared at them:

_Dear Mum and Dad, April, 12,1959_

_We're loving it here in Los Angeles. You wouldn't believe how different it is from home. Ralph and I can't thank you enough for sending us on this honeymoon. I can't wait to tell you all about it when we get home, _

_Love always, _

_Debra and Ralph._

Tosh stared down at the postcard. Mum and Dad? Who did this belong to?

She stared open-mouthed at the picture she found next. Standing in a long white gown, it was _her_, next to Christopher Milner, his parents and...the Torchwood team and Faith. Flipping the photo over she couldn't believe it.

_March 2, 1938_

_Our Chris's wedding to Soo-Jin Kim, and a few family and friends. Neal and Jennifer White, Vincent and Grace Wilkins and Jack Harley. _

All the names that were in her dream. That same dress. She tossed the picture down and flipped through more of the papers.

_Dear Soo-Jin, June, 14, 1940_

_Been so long since we last saw eachother, just wanted to update you on a few things. After five boys, we finally have our little girl. At long, long last. Her name is Brenda Marie. She's just so beautiful. Of course that might be because she's mine, but I think most people feel that way, or they should._

_Grace and Vincent have bought a house just down the street from us. I think their oldest and our Brenda will be quite the pair when they're old enough. Her being just a bit better of course. I was so happy to hear about your good news. Twin boys! I know how that feels, twice over!_

_I hope you and Chris come down with the kids for a visit, it's been far too long._

_Love and wishes, as always, _

_Jennifer_

Twin boys? Tosh once again just stared at the old, yellow, faded letter. How many children had her other self had?

_Christopher Paul Milner April,5, 2000_

_Age 97, died Tuesday, of natural causes. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Soo-Jin (Kim) Milner and their twleve children, seventeen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren._

"Doesn't that sound great?" Alun's voice broke in as he put a plate down on the coffee table in front of Tosh.

"What?" she asked numbly as she stared at the clipping.

"The computer program I was babbling on about." he said as he looked at her. "You sure this isn't too late?" he asked. "I can leave.."

"No, it's not that." she said. "It's these newspaper clippings."

"Soo-Jin Milner, age 88, died in her sleep surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren." Alun read. "Nice way to go." he said as he handed her the fragile clipping, dated May 5, 2000. "Some old family stuff?" he asked as he looked through a few things.

"Yeah." she nodded as she read a birthday card from a grandson named Arthur.

"You want to finish looking through these?" he asked. "Movie can wait."

"No, I want to watch a movie and just make a pig of myself." she said as she gathered the things and put them back in the box.

"If you're sure." he said as he picked up a few things that had fallen on the floor. "Been a long day?" he asked as he leaned back, Tosh resting her head on his shoulder.

"You have no idea." she said as the movie started and she thanked her lucky stars that she was at home, with Alun.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes: Okay, so this chapter will start to wrap this little story up. Glad to see that some people have found the Milners creepy. That's what I was going for. Also glad to see that I threw at least one person with the box. Yay for me. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Tosh woke up early, saw Alun off on his way and took a quick shower. Grabbing the box she'd received the night before, she headed off to work full of questions and wondering if Jack and the others could help her at all.

"Jack!" she called as she threw her purse down on her chair. "Jack!" she called again when she didn't get an answer.

"Toshiko?" Jack called as he opened the door to his office. "What are you doing here so early?"

Tosh looked down at her watch. Just past seven. It was rather early, especially considering the long night they'd had, but she hadn't been able to sleep at all. So many questions regarding that box and its contents kept her awake.

"I'm sorry if I woke you or anything." she apologized. "It's just that..." her voice trailed off and she blushed a bit when she saw Ianto standing behind Jack, pulling on his coat. "I'm so sorry." she said. "I'll come back in a bit."

"Toshiko, stop." Jack said. "What's wrong?"

"I need some help with something." she said as she turned around.

"With what?" he asked as he walked down the stairs.

"You're going to think I'm mad." she said sheepishly.

"I'll go make some coffee." Ianto said as he beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen.

"If you've shown up this early when I told everyone to sleep in a bit, then something's up." Jack said. "And after all I've seen, you'd have to say something really bizarre for me to think you're insane." he pointed out.

"Good point." Tosh said. "Last night, on our way back to Cardiff. I had a dream."

"Okay." Jack replied slowly, not sure where this was going. He didn't do dream interpretation, he was sure she knew.

"It seemed so real." she went on. "We had a break down after Owen almost hit a man." she started pacing around in front of Jack, ignoring the fact that Ianto was holding out a cup to her. "We walked to this place, a hotel called Greenlee Manor Hotel."

"Never heard of it." Jack said.

"Old place way north of Cardiff." Ianto put in. "Been empty for ages."

"It wasn't in my dream." Tosh said, finally noticing the cup of coffee. "We got there and an old woman checked us in."

"North of Cardiff?" Jack asked. "We were west of the city yesterday."

"Just one more weird thing to add to it all." Tosh remarked as she sat down in her chair. "Faith paid for the rooms, and we all went up. All of us heard voices. And the family." she paused a moment. "They were so odd. The old woman seemed so sweet at first."

"Names?" Ianto asked as he set down his cup of coffee and went to one of the computers.

"What?" Tosh asked. "Oh, Milner." she said. "She was Georgette, her husband was Stanley and their son was Christopher."

"Okay." he said as he began typing. "Go on."

"We all had dinner and then I woke up and the son was carrying me down a hall." she said. "He took me to a bedroom..."

"This isn't going to get awkward is it?" Ianto asked, looking up from the screen in front of him.

"It wasn't like that." she answered. "His mother was waiting in the room to dress me for a wedding. I could barely talk, I couldn't really move. They kept calling me Soo-Jin."

"A Korean name." Ianto said as he clicked on a link. "You're not Korean."

"I know that." Tosh sighed. "She kept going on about how they'd waited for so long for me to come back. And how I wasn't good enough for her son."

"Most mothers think that." Jack said. "In some cases, they're quite right." he added with a smile.

"This isn't funny, Jack!" Tosh said as she stood up and slammed her cup down. "They took me down to a chapel and Faith and Gwen and Owen, you and Ianto, you were all there."

"Sorry." Jack said, trying his hardest not to make a Wizard of Oz related joke.

"Faith and Owen were married, only they weren't them, they were Jennifer and Neal." Tosh continued when she was sure Jack wasn't about make any more stupid jokes. "Gwen and Ianto were married, but once again, they weren't them. They were Grace and Vincent."

"You're sure this wasn't just a really vivid dream?" Jack asked as he put a hand on her shoulder. "We had a really long day."

"It wasn't." she said. "Faith, Jennifer, who ever, gave me a drink from a flask, and then the next thing I knew, I didn't care that I was about to marry some man I didn't know." she added. "Part of me kept wanting to say something, to stop things, but I didn't. Then, I woke up in the SUV, Owen and Faith were fighting."

"So, what makes you think this wasn't just a dream?" Jack asked.

"These." Tosh said as she took the box out of her purse and handed them over. "Birthday cards, newspaper clippings, postcards, birth certificates, marriage certificates." she held a few out to him. "This. A wedding picture dated 1938, with me in it. With all of us in it." she thrust the picture towards him.

"Whoa." Jack said as he looked at the picture. "That's us all right."

"I found something." Ianto said. "Doesn't clear anything up though." he added with a sigh.

"Why not?" Tosh asked.

"Because, according to this, Christopher Milner killed his parents, his fiancee and himself in 1938." he answered. "His father, Stanley, mother Georgette and one Soo-Jin Kim."

"This an obituary." Jack said, looking down at the clipping in dismay. "Said he was married for over sixty years, to this Soo-Jin."

"Well, according to this article, they're all dead, long dead." Ianto said. "Murder took place at the Greenlee Manor, too."

"Where did you get this box, Toshiko?" Jack asked.

"It was on my doorstep when Alun got there." she said. "He was waiting for me when I got home. Said he found it."

"This definitely falls into the realm of utterly bizarre." Ianto said as he continued to look through more articles, all saying the same thing.

"Is the Greenlee still standing?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Ianto answered. "Empty now, but still standing."

"Did you know about those murders?" Jack asked as he turned to look at the other man.

"Nope." he shook his head. "I've driven past it once or twice, saw the sign, but I didn't know anything about it until this morning."

"I think we'll be taking a little roadtrip." Jack said as he looked down at the wedding photo. "I don't think I need to say it, but something is really not right here."

"I'll call the others." Ianto said.

"Make sure to get Faith to come along, too." Jack called after him. "She's in the photo, we may need her."

"Do you have any ideas?" Tosh asked.

"None." Jack said as he stood up. "But we'll find some, don't worry." he added with a reassuring smile.


	7. Chapter 7

"Found anything on the others?" Ianto asked as he drove along behind the Torchwood vehicle. All of them decided that having all six crammed into the SUV, especially with some not being very pleasant travel companions to begin with, it was best to take two cars. So Ianto drove along behind in his black Audi, Faith tapping away at the laptop she'd just bought.

"I've found an article on Jennifer and Neal White." Gwen said over the coms. "Oh God, how sad." she muttered.

"What?" Faith asked as she impatiently went back a page.

"They were killed in an auto accident." Gwen answered. "In 1950, with their six kids."

"Six kids?" Owen said as he turned to look at Gwen. "They needed a hobby."

"They obviously had one." Faith said with a laugh.

"Another one." he retorted. "One that involves less nappies and vomit."

"Go on Gwen." Faith said as she clicked on another link.

"They were hit by a lorry driver." Gwen said. "Neal White died two days after his wife and children." she added, just imagining how it must feel to know your family has died and you're the only one who survived.

"That's horrible." Tosh whispered.

"Aha." Faith said.

"Something on the Wilkins?" Ianto asked.

"Mmhmm." she nodded. "They lived to the ripe old age of ninety-two for Vincent and ninetey-eight for Grace." she said. "Five children, all lived and got married, had children, grandchildren, yadda yadda." she read. "Much better off than the poor Whites."

"I've found a Jack Harley." Tosh said. "Married seven times, no children, at least not any with any of his wives." she added. "Died in 1968 at the age of sixty. A heart-attack."

"So Christopher Milner wasn't responsible for any of them at least." Owen said. "Good news isn't it Tosh?" he asked. "To know your husband didn't kill anymore people."

"Shut it, Owen!" Tosh snapped.

"How much further?" Jack asked, growing more and more tired of the back and forth arguing between Tosh and Owen and Faith and Owen. He did have quite a knack for pissing people off. What a charming trait, he thought.

"Another hour, tops." Ianto answered as he took a sip from the large travel mug at his side.

"What are we hoping to find when we get there?" Faith asked as she continued to browse different articles.

"I don't know." Jack said. "To be honest, I have no idea what's going on."

"Encouraging words from our fearless leader." Owen said.

"At least he's honest." Gwen said as she put her laptop away. "Better than telling us something we want to hear."

"There are times when that's not such a bad thing you know." Owen said, fideting in his seat.

"He killed three innocent people." Tosh muttered.

"He obviously had some problems, Tosh." Gwen said, trying to comfort her some.

"And now he's using me to finish this business?" she asked. "It doesn't make any sense. Where did those clippings and stuff come from?"

"We'll find some answers, Toshiko." Jack promised. "Even if we don't find anything at Greenlee, we'll figure this out."

"I hope." she said as she sat back and stared out the window.

* * *

The team turned down a long path that led to a circular drive. Crushed stone lay spread out over the area, and where the stone didn't cover, tufts of grass sprouted up. The manor itself loomed over the drive, some windows missing, others boarded up. There was a large sign on the front door:

**WARNING-**

**No trespassing. Building unsound!**

"So this is it?" Owen asked as he looked around. "Not what I'd call homey."

"Is this it?" Jack asked as he came to stand next to Tosh.

"It didn't look like this." she said as she looked up at the large house. "When I saw it, it was magnificent." she added turning around.

"According to these records, no one's lived here for about twenty years." Ianto said as he stared at the screen of Faith's laptop. "It's actually scheduled to be demolished."

"Can I help you?" a gruff voice called.

Turning around, the group saw a man in faded jeans and a flannel shirt standing on the front steps.

"We just wanted to look around." Jack said as he approached the man.

"You can't." the man said simply. "It's gonna be razed, we're starting the work for it today."

"Just a quick look around." Jack asked. "If we're in your way, we'll leave."

"You're in the way." the man said, jerking his head towards the two vehicles. "Leave."

"Please." Faith said as she stepped forward, smiling. "You see, it's really important to my friend." she added as she linked her arm with the man's and led him off a little ways. "Her grandparents were married here, and she just wants to see it."

"Really?" the man asked, slightly disbelieving.

"Yes." Faith answered. "You see...I'm sorry, what is your name?"

"Colin." he answered.

"Colin, very nice name." she said, smiling again. "I'm Faith." she introduced herself. "You see, she just lost her grandmother, and the old dear kept going on and on about the lovely house where they were married, and now she just wants to look around, get to see where it all started for them."

"Just lost her grandmother?" Colin asked as he shook his head. "My gran is gettin' on a bit, probably won't be long..." he looked back at the group and sighed. "Half an hour." he said firmly. "If you're not out by then, I get to call the police."

"Thank you, Colin, this is very sweet of you." Faith said. "If there's anything I can do for you." she added. "I work in a very nice hotel, perhaps you and your wife could use a little getaway?"

"That would be nice." he said.

"We can chat after my friend's had a look 'round." she said. "Half an hour." she added as she walked back to the group. "Let's go." she ordered.

"So bossy." Jack said as they followed. "I kinda like that."

"You can lay it on, can't you?" Owen said as he shook his head. "Bat your eyelashes, smile so sweetly." he added. "No one would guess that you can be such a royal pain."

"I reserve my true talents for you, my friends." she said sunnily.

"What all did you say?" Ianto asked.

"I just told Colin, nice name I think, that Tosh's grandmother just died and that she wanted to see where her grandparents were married." she explained.

"Sorry for your loss, Tosh." Ianto said as they entered into the foyer.

"Thanks." Tosh muttered as she looked around.

Where once she'd seen a large hall, lit so nicely, fresh flowers, lovely paintings, now she saw doors propped against walls, wall sconces about to fall right down, wood panelling cracked and brittle. Dust clinging to everything, in every nook and cranny.

"Must have been quite beautiful once." Gwen said as she looked around.

"It was." Tosh said as she looked into an ajoining room, recognizing the layout.

"Okay then." Jack said. "Ianto, Gwen you take this floor, Owen, Faith, you take the top floor, Toshiko and I will take the second."

"Aye, aye captain." Owen said as he headed for the stairs.

"Careful." Tosh called after them. "It's easy to get lost."

"Thanks for the warning." Ianto said as he and Gwen set off.

"This place is creepy." Gwen said as she and Ianto went about checking out the first floor.

"It's just because it's old and empty." Ianto said as he opened a cupboard in what used to be a dining room. "Just imagine if it were full of people again."

**Notes: I'm chuggin' along slowly on this one, mainly because of playoffs..so it may take a while for me to finish. Hope you all like this chapter as well. And thanks again for those reviews!!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Tosh wasn't kidding about it being easy to get lost." Owen said as he and Faith turned down the same hall for what seemed the hundreth time.

"Should have asked Colin if he had a map." Faith replied as she stopped to look around. Nope, same damn hallway.

"Colin." Owen mumbled. "On such friendly terms for having just met him."

"He didn't tell me his last name and it seems silly to call him "that man", when I know his name." Faith said with a laugh. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're jealous." she teased.

"In your dreams." he replied as he opened the door to one of the rooms. "I think we did find a new hall after all." he said as he looked around.

"Damn, we're good." Faith said with a smile. "This must have been quite nice."

"What, you're too good for dust, dirt and spiders?" Owen asked as he checked the fireplace. Never know when you'll come across a secret passage.

"I've been spoiled." she answered as she tripped over a floorboard.

"Walk much?" Owen asked as he offered a hand to help her up.

She replied by sticking her tongue out at him and took his hand. "Loose floorboard." she said as she looked down.

"No wonder." he said. "Place hasn't been lived in for years, bound to go to hell."

"What have we here?" she asked as she moved the loose piece of wood. "Letters." she said as she waved the yellowed envelopes.

"Who to?" Owen asked as he knelt down next to her to look at them.

"Soo-Jin." she said as she opened the first letter. "Looks like a love letter."

"Who from?" Ianto's voice said, startling Faith a bit. She wasn't used to the comms after all.

"I don't know." she said as she read the letter through. "It looks like a woman's writing though."

"Are you sure they're love letters?" Jack asked.

"Some areas get rather graphic." Faith replied as she read one particular passage.

"Really?" Owen asked. "Here, let me take a look."

"Go away you little pervert." she said, swatting his hand away.

"So, Soo-Jin was having a fling with another woman." Ianto whistled. "I wonder if she was going to leave Christopher for this woman."

"Probably why he killed her." Tosh said.

"But no names?" Gwen asked.

"None." Faith said.

"Keep looking." Jack instructed.

"I wonder if the mystery woman was either Jennifer or Grace." Ianto pondered out loud.

"Dunno, but it's a nice picture." Owen said as he read one of the letters.

"Up 'til the point where Christopher killed his fiancee over it." Faith pointed out.

"Well yeah, that was a bit of a downer." he admitted.

"Oh, this is sounding like a soap opera." Ianto said.

"Why?" Jack asked as he and Tosh finished their search and came up with nothing.

"I found some letters here in the kitchen." he answered.

"Any names?" Gwen asked as she moved to stand next to him so she could read the letter too. "Oh god." she said as she read the name.

"What?" Faith asked.

"I can see why Christopher went mad when he found out." Gwen said.

"Imagine finding this out." Ianto said. "I wonder how he found out."

"You don't think he caught them in the act..." Gwen shuddered.

"That would be cause for some serious therapy." Ianto replied.

"Would you two mind sharing what you've found?" Tosh asked, becoming more and more impatient.

"Sorry." they both muttered.

"Who is it then?" Faith asked.

"Georgette Milner." Ianto said.

"His mother and fiancee were having an affair?" Owen asked.

"Still picturing that?" Gwen asked.

"So he killed them both because of that." Tosh said. "But why did he kill his father?"

"Maybe he knew?" Ianto ventured. "I'd be just a touch upset if I found out my mother and fiancee were having a fling and that my father knew and just didn't bother to tell me."

"I think anyone would." Jack said. "Keep looking around." he added. "Tosh and I are going to check out that chapel out back."

"Be careful." Ianto said as he looked out the grimey kitchen window. "Looks like there's a rather nasty storm moving in."

"Will do." Jack said.

"This is getting more and more disturbing." Tosh said as they headed out a set of french doors off what used to be a study on the ground floor.

"Just imagine the holiday dinners if..." Owen mused.

"Owen, can you please just not talk anymore?" Tosh asked.

"Sorry." he replied.

"Thank you." she said.

"Okay, we're headed out to the chapel." Jack said. "Let us know if you find anything else."

Jack and Tosh walked down an old stony path to the small church that sat at the back of the property. Tosh didn't say a word, just walked, looking straight ahead, hand tucked deeply in her pockets.

"Toshiko?" Jack asked as he watched her.

"Hmmm?" she mumbled as she slowly turned her gaze to him.

"None of this is your fault." he told her.

"I know that." she said. "At least, part of me does." she sighed. "But, there's another part that can't stop feeling guilty."

"You didn't actually do anything." he pointed out.

"No, but after that dream, and reading those articles." she shook her head.

"Those pictures look like you, you were brought to this place for a reason, but that doesn't mean that you're responsible for anything Soo-Jin and Georgette did." he explained.

"I'm trying to keep that in mind." she said as they reached the front doors of the chapel.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No." she answered. "But, I don't have much of a choice."

Jack opened the warped door and walked in ahead of Tosh. Looking around they saw chairs knocked over, some ladders, paint cans, drop cloths and a bucket of tools.

"Looks like they used it as a shed." he said. "This look familiar too?"

"Yes." she nodded. "Just a bit dustier, just like the house." she said, swallowing back the fear she was feeling.

Opening another set of doors, they found themselves in the main part of the chapel. Rows of pews lined each side, a small podium sat at the front of the room. Tosh stood in silence as she looked around, the dream coming back to her. A large booming noise startled the both of them and rain could be heard splashing onto the roof.

"Ianto mentioned a storm." Jack said as he looked out one of the small windows.

"Yeah." she said, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. It was thunder, just thunder. "Right as always."

"Sure he didn't mind hearing that." Jack joked. "Right Ianto?"

Tosh and Jack looked at one another when no answer came.

"Ianto?" he repeated.

"Gwen?" Tosh tried. "Owen?"

"I think we've lost comms." Jack said with a sigh.

A bright light flashed through the chapel and the sound of creaking and splintering wood was followed by a large tree branch suddenly crashing through the window Jack had just been peering out of.

"Stupid storm." Tosh said breathlessly.

"We've only got another ten minutes left." Jack said as he looked down at his watch. "We need to hurry up and look around."

The two set to work, looking in every nook and cranny, not really knowing what they were looking for. The search was interupted by the doors at the end of the aisle slamming shut with a loud bang.

"Jack.." Tosh said, ready to bolt.

"Wind." he said. "It's picking up. This old place is a bit drafty after all."

"Right." Tosh said as she plopped down into the nearest pew. She took a deep breath as she ran her hand over the smooth, worn wood.

"Does it bring back memories?" A man's voice asked.

Both Jack and Tosh jumped in fright and spun to find what appeared to be Stanley Milner standing there.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, pulling his gun instinctively.

"Stanley Milner." Tosh whispered.

"Very good." Stanley smiled. "How do you like the house?" he asked. "I know it's not what you remember..."

"What is going on?" Tosh asked, walking forward. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making ammends to my son." Stanley answered.

"What?" Jack asked.

"It was my fault." Stanley said, swallowing hard. "Chris did what he did, because of me. It's all my fault."

"It's your fault your son murdered three people and them himself?" Jack asked.

"I knew." Stanley said. "I knew about Gerogie and Soo-Jin." he bit his lip. "I just never told Chris. I wanted to save him the pain..."

"How did he find out?" Tosh asked.

"Worst way possible." he answered. "He walked in on them...together." he sank down onto the arm of the pew. "I'd known for months, but I didn't say anything. I didn't want people to know that I was such a lout of a husband, my wife was getting ready to leave me for my son's fiancee."

"They were going to run off together?" Jack asked.

"My wife had saved money, and they were going to go to America, or Canada, and live together." he cried. "I didn't want Chris to feel the same pain that I did when I found out."

"So you lied to him, kept it from him, and he still found out." Tosh sighed.

"He hated me for it." Stanley went on. "Said that if I were any kind of father, that I'd have told him." he looked up. "He was right."

"The pictures, the articles?" Jack asked.

"That was how it should have been." Stanley explained. "I sent them to you, so you could see how you'd helped us all."

"So that was some sort of thank you?" Tosh asked, completley stunned. "I thought I was going mad."

"I'm sorry, I didn't..." Stanley began.

"Where are the others?" Jack asked.

"They've gone on." Stanley answered. "Once the wedding was over, they were at peace. It was the best ending for all of us."

"Except that it wasn't the real ending." Tosh pointed out. "You can't take back three murders and a suicide."

"No, but it was close enough." Stanley said, desperately wanting them to understand. "Christopher was keeping us here, until he got his happy ending. He'd never had one, he shouldn't have been deprived."

"So now what?" Jack asked.

"Nothing." he shrugged. "Your friend made things right. You know how things should have been, Soo-Jin and Chris are together now, they're happy."

"What about your wife?" Tosh asked. "Or Soo-Jin for that matter, how can they be happy when they wanted to be together?"

"Christopher, well, he changed their minds." Stanley smiled. "I don't know how he did it..."

A bolt of lightning hit another tree outside the chapel and split in two and crashed down onto the roof.

"I'm going home soon." Stanley said with a smile. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Toshiko!" Jack called as he grabbed her and ran for the doors. Another bolt of lightning hit, sending another tree branch through yet another window.

"I'm coming home, Georgie!" he called as one of the trees caught fire.

Jack through his shoulder into the door, trying to break it open as it seemed to be stuck.

"Break one of the windows." he told Tosh as he tried again to break down the door.

Tosh grabbed an old drop cloth and wrapped it around her hand and busted out the glass.

"I don't think you're going to fit." she said as she cleared the glass out of the way.

"No, but you will." Jack said as he came over, picked her up and chucked her out the opening.

"Jack!" Tosh called.

"Tosh!Jack!" Gwen's voice called over the pounding rain and rolling thunder.

"Jack's still inside." she told them.

"He'll be okay." Owen said as he took Tosh by the arm and dragged her away from the chapel just as it was hit again.

"We can't just leave him there." Faith objected. "He can still feel pain."

"He'll get over it." Owen said as he walked past, dragging Tosh with him.

"Come on." Ianto said, watching in horror as yet another large tree fell onto the chapel, completley obliterating it.

"Is everyone alright?" Colin's voice called out. "I've called for help."

"I think everyone is fine." Owen said as they stood in the study, watching for Jack to reappear.

"You're one short." Colin pointed out.

"It's fine." Gwen said.

"It's not if he's stuck in there." he argued.

"He's right there." Ianto pointed, sighing in relief as a battered and bruised Jack stumbled his way back up to the house.

"You need a doctor." Colin said as Jack fell against Ianto, panting.

"I've got one." he said, pointing to Owen.

"I can call..." Colin said.

"It's fine." Gwen repeated.

"Did you find anything?" Faith asked, looking back and forth at Jack and Tosh.

"Yes." Tosh said, filling them in on everything that had happened once Colin was convinced to leave them.

"I came to Earth because I thought it would so nice and peaceful." Faith said as they climbed back into the cars.

"Picked the wrong planet." Ianto said as he watched Jack climb in the front seat of the SUV. "Definitely the wrong planet." he added as he started the engine.

* * *

**Notes: Okay, final chapter here. Most definitely not my best, but I'm not completely with it at the moment, so I hope you all find it decent at least. All ready have a few new ideas for my next stories, just have to settle on one. Thanks again for the reviews!**


End file.
